When setting up the nursery, I followed the Montessori method and I’ve seen first-hand how a toddler’s independence can really thrive when everything is within their reach and at their level. See example below!

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We managed to stick with the Stokke Sleepi Cot (set-up to be sort of a raised floor bed as pictured) until Clara was just over three. After the most recent growth spurt, it became obvious that it was time for an upgrade!

Our original plan was to buy the Junior bed extension kit ($229) to convert the cot into a big bed, but with a second child in mind in the near future, and Clara’s persistent demands for a ‘big bed without baby bars’, we threw those plans out the window!

Here’s a time lapse sneak peek of the transformation:

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Now for all the details!

Bed

If you follow my Instagram Stories, you’ll see that we took Clara bed shopping, initially with a bunk bed in mind… However, she instantly fell in love with the Venus Bed at Fantastic Furniture ($299) and to be honest, so did I! The soft velvet just feels so luxurious and the matching armchair with foot stool ($199) and storage chest ($149) is the cutest! The entire bedroom package is so lush and the quality really surprised me. Velvet furniture can look so tacky but I think they’ve really nailed the design here. The shell-inspired look also ensures that there are no sharp corners or edges, unlike many of the other beds I considered, so that was another plus!

Clara is currently going through a pink phase after having blue as her favourite colour for the longest period of time so not surprisingly, her big girl room has morphed from a gender-neutral colour palette to a very girly pink room!

Mattress

I’m a big believer in supporting Aussie businesses and Eco Kids makes this an easy choice when it comes to choosing a kid-friendly mattress. They ticked all the boxes for what I was looking for, and some more!

I love that it is hand-crafted in Melbourne and they offer peace-of-mind in that they don’t use harmful glues, bonding agents or chemicals in the manufacture of the mattress.

My favourite feature is probably its Maxi-Boost edge support which prevents kids from rolling off the side, and has been stable enough for me to lie right on the edge when I’ve needed to!

Eco Kids have kindly offered me two exclusive discount codes to share with you all!
Use code: mamahasgotthis_ecokids for $90 off!
Use code: mamahasgotthis_pillow for a FREE Bamboo Classic Low Profile Pillow (valued at $126.65)
(This isn’t a sponsored promo, I paid for the mattress in full and having done my research, I think it’s definitely the best kids mattress on the market!)

Wall decals

The wall decals are by Ginger Monkey who are based in Melbourne, Australia. They occasionally have 15% off sales so wait for the discount! I love that they’re removable and reusable. They’re made from a peel and stick, polyester fabric material so it can be reused on any flat surface and leaves no adhesive residue. They were SO easy to apply and adjust!

I used the Australian Gum Tree decal set (full set, 69 decals, $285) and split it across two feature designs with the decals arranged to flow out from the corners of the room. The decals have a gorgeous watercolour-look so it makes it look hand painted on the walls! You simply peel them off and overlap the decal pieces to suit your room. The best thing about this is that there is no ugly white border around the decal, and if you stick it in the wrong position, you simply peel it off and re-apply!

Bedside table

The side table is the Home Republic Bahama Rattan Honey Bedside Table ($179.99) from Adairs.

I offer small baskets for Clara to store her treasures and trinkets. The one of the left is a set of three woven baskets, handmade in Siem Reap Cambodia using traditional water hyacinth weaving techniques and natural vegetable dyes. This was from The Fair Trade Cove in Lane Cove. The one of the right is an oldie from Target.

The books read in high frequency before bedtime are also stored in the bottom shelf of the bedside table. Our current favourite reads are:

• Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth
• Back To Sleep
• No One Likes a Fart
• Bluey – The Beach
• This is How We Do It
• Peppa Pig – Big Story Treasury
• The Very Sleepy Bear

Rugs

The Ecowool sheepskin rug was kindly gifted to us at our baby shower and I adore the fact that it is still part of Clara’s bedroom.

The main rug is the Itarsi Blush and Ivory Transitional Rug (225cm x 155cm, $247) from Miss Amara. It is the softest, most divine rug I’ve ever felt under my feet. There’s a soft peachy tone to the blush and I think it adds the perfect amount of softness and warmth to the room. One of the greatest benefits of rug shopping with Miss Amara is their free delivery and free returns! It definitely took the fear away from choosing a rug that I may not like in-person!

Storage

The Aruba 6 Drawer Storage Unit is an oldie from Fantastic Furniture that’s no longer available. A similar style that they have in-stock (at the time of publishing) is the Java Dresser ($399) or the Wyndham Storage Unit ($129).

The kids clothing rack with shoe rack swing is also an oldie, from a store that used to be called Love Ellie. This was another one of the precious baby shower gifts we received. When Clara outgrows this, I think it’ll make the perfect storage rack for all her costumes and dress-up accessories! If you’re looking for something similar, check out the Mocka A-Frame ($59.95).

I’m also a big fan of Kmart’s collapsible hamper which we have in gold polkadots ($10). We pretty much shove anything and everything in here to keep the room tidy! Clara is now strong enough to lift and tip over the entire hamper and she fondly refers to it as her toy basket.

Small keepsake items go into a personalised memory box I had made when Clara was born.

To organise Clara’s hair bows, we have a personalised hair bow holder ($26) by Little Birdy Finds.

I got a little ahead of myself and already have a Tooth Fairy Box ($22) made as well!

Behind the tooth fairy box is our Aroma Snooze ($115) which is an essential oil vaporiser and sleep aid / white noise machine with built-in air purifier and ioniser. The Aroma-Snooze uses safe ultrasonic technology to turn the room temperature water into a fine vapor and released as a mist through out the night. This will help relieve your child of dry irritated skin, and provide optimal breathing conditions, allowing your child to sleep comfortably. It also creates healthy negative ions known as ‘anions’ during the ultrasonic vibration of the oscillator disc. Scientific research shows that healthy negative ions are found abundantly in nature, and improve the air you breathe. These ‘healthy’ negative ions counteract positive ‘pollutant’ ions in the air, removing dust, germs and bacteria and will improve respiratory problems such as asthma, sinus and allergies. I love this machine!

Wall art/hangings

One of the earliest items I ever bought for Clara was this ABCs of Life art print (USD $34) by Little Truths Studio. We also have the Family Manifesto Art Print in our entrance hallway table and they’re both such beautiful reminders of some of life’s most important lessons.

The small accordion hook ($9) at Kmart is a simple solution for scrunchies, headbands and other things, like Clara’s Olli Ella luggy or for hanging art (pictured is With Great Love All is Possible printed by Yogi Town). Simiarly, the hanging wall shelf ($5), also from Kmart, makes a cute little wall display unit.

The mirrored rose gold name plaque ($70) is from CMC Gold and was thoughtfully gifted to Clara by one of her aunties and uncle a little while back!

Doll beds

The rocking wooden bassinet ($29) is from Target and the wooden bunk bed ($25) is from Kmart. Putting the dolls to bed is part of our bedtime routine — pretend play bedtime sequences enable toddlers to subconsciously learn the expectations for a healthy sleep time routine for themselves.

Pillow

And lastly, you may have noticed that the pillow looks quite small relative to the single bed. That’s because it is! It measures only 42cm x 26cm and is 7cm high. It’s basically half a standard pillow case. I’ve searched high and low for this one — many of the other toddler pillow options available were either too soft or too high! This is the Giselle low profile contour memory foam pillow ($39.95 twin pack).

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